Three fellows recently joined the Groundwork team for a nearly three-month period. Food Equity fellow Sarah Perez-Sanz is working with Food & Farming Director Meghan McDermott on food equity and access; Farms, Food and Health fellow Katie Wheeler is working with Senior Policy Specialist Diane Conners on Community-Supported-Agriculture (CSA) wellness programs, and Clean Energy fellow Abby Hackman is supporting Clean Energy Policy specialist Dan Worth.
We at Groundwork are expanding our reach into Antrim, Charlevoix and Emmet counties. On June 15, we launched a new Petoskey office to support an expansion of the organization’s farm to school, food access, and farmer support projects.
Tech entrepreneur, startup investor and philanthropist Casey Cowell has joined Groundwork’s Board of Directors. In 1976, Cowell and friends created U.S. Robotics, which developed the world’s first computer modem. The Cowell Cancer Center at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City recently opened, exemplifying his commitment to healthful communities. Cowell wants to help foster healthful communities in northern Michigan, as well as expand the region’s growing tech scene and create jobs in Traverse City.
The Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities announces its Spring 2017 fellows, who will work with policy specialists over the next 12 weeks. They include: clean energy fellow Jeanna Paluzzi, food & farming fellow Christina Barkel, pipeline/Great Lakes Business Network fellow Zada Harris, and farms food & health fellow Lisa Dinon.
Mike Depolo, Jeff Gietzen, Cheryl Hutchinson, Alison Metiva and Teresa Newmarch recently joined the advisory council at the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities.
Groundwork announces recent staff changes: Jim Bruckbauer has been promoted to Deputy Director; Meghan McDermott has been promoted to Food and Farming Program Director; Miriam Owsley has joined as Volunteer and Event Coordinator, and Jacob Wheeler started in October as Communications Manager.